A warning has been issued for visitors to the Spanish island of Tenerife, which is situated off the coast of West Africa and is known for its excellent, sunny weather throughout the year
New warning signs directed at British tourists have appeared in Tenerife.
The Spanish island, situated off the coast of West Africa and known for its excellent, sunny weather throughout the year, is hugely popular with UK residents. The Canary Islands overall recorded an extraordinary year in 2024, with nearly 18 million visitors – an annual increase of 10%.
The biggest pull is Tenerife, which attracted more than 6.2 million international tourists and over 900,000 domestic visitors. British visitors are the dominant force on the island, sending 2.8 million sunseekers in 2024 – three times more than those from Germany.
While there’s plenty to love about Tenerife, including its 20C plus January weather, miles of sandy coastline and cheap bars, there is a downside to the island. Holidaymakers can find themselves the victim of pickpockets and muggers.
Now, British tourists visiting the most popular holiday hotspots in Tenerife are being warned about pickpockets after an increase in muggings and robberies. New signs have been put out on pavements to warn visitors about the risks. Messages are also being sent out to hundreds of thousands of social network users.
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The warnings apply to favourite destinations in the south of Tenerife, including Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas, as well as Puerto Colón, Puerto Santiago and Los Gigantes. Several Facebook communities are now being used to report such crimes, with photographs of alleged pickpockets shared, and risk points are identified.
Although hard figures are not available, there is an anecdotal suggestion that theft cases are on the rise in certain parts of Tenerife. One of the most notable areas is the vicinity of English pubs in Los Cristianos, particularly San Francisco Avenue, which is known for being a high-risk location, especially at night and during periods of high visitor concentration.
On one Facebook group, a user recently recounted: “Two pickpockets in Los Cristianos were surprised and arrested by my husband when they tried to steal a woman’s purse”, describing a spontaneous intervention to stop a robbery in the middle of a public road. Other reports mention stolen cell phones, hotel room cards and wallets.
Some car rental companies in the south have begun to incorporate warning messages aimed at their customers as a preventive measure. These companies recommend that their customers carry out practices to reduce the risk of theft, such as not to leaving mobile phones on tables, avoiding carrying wallets with large amounts of money and choosing to carry only cash and essential cards.
They also suggest the use of fanny packs, carrying bags on the front of the body and not leaving valuables inside vehicles.
During a nine-month period last year, reported crime rates in the Canary Islands increased by 3.3% compared to the same months in 2024, according to the Ministry of the Interior. The archipelago ended the first nine months of the year with 83,358 criminal offences, compared to 80,707 in the same period in 2024.
The report highlighted a significant increase in property-related crimes, with 1,467 violent robberies clocked (+12.8%) and 21,889 thefts (+3.5%), Tenerife Weekly reported.